Read the cruise report from leg 2 of P6 week #3, along with continuously updated blog posts.

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Cruise Report Week #3

P6 Leg 2 Week 3 Report

0900 local time 11 September 2017
32 30’ S 110 47’ W, winds 15-20 kn, Outside temperature 16 C
Stn 191

Good weather the past week has allowed us to make more rapid progress. We are now across the crest of the East Pacific Rise, and it feels like we are going downhill. Roughly half of Leg 2’s time has passed and work is moving along at full speed – as it has to in order for us to complete the section. Station spacing is tightening up a bit as we enter a new basin and the influence of Southern Ocean water masses at depth flowing north above the rise.

As we approached the crest on the eastern flank of the East Pacific Rise we encountered the rough topography that all the other P06 lines found, and were able to make good use of earlier underway bathymetry and etopo1 to anticipate station locations. This was a good exercise for the CTD watchstanders, who now had to consider depth, in case we needed to move the station somewhat to avoid seamounts as much as was practical.

As I write this Irma is making her way up the west coast of Florida. The recent natural disasters in Texas and presently in Florida are on the minds of those onboard who have family and friends in harms way. Our thoughts are with them and we all hope for safe passage and recovery back home.

Kevin Speer (Chief Scientist)
Lena Schulze (co-Chief Scientist)